What Are the Causes of Sharp Pain in Ankle Joint When Walking?
The ankle joint consists of the two lower leg bones and the ankle bone itself, which are surrounded and supported by ligaments, muscles and tendons. An injury to any of the bones, ligaments, muscles or tendons can cause ankle pain while walking.
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Sprain/Break/Fracture
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A sprained ankle, caused by the ankle rolling over awkwardly while walking, or a break or fracture, caused by trauma, are the most common causes of sharp pain in the ankle joint.
Achilles Tendon
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The Achilles tendon may cause ankle pain if it becomes inflamed or irritated (Achilles tendinitis) or if it has been partially or completely torn (Achilles rupture).
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Arthritis
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Arthritis in the joints, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, can cause sharp ankle pain when there's movement in the joint, such as while walking.
Gout/Pseudogout
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Gout is a condition caused by urate crystals accumulating around a joint due to higher than normal levels of uric acid in the body, which causes severe pain and discomfort. Pseudogout is like gout, except that the accumulation is not urate cyrstals but calcium deposits.
Significance
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It is important to have a doctor examine the ankle and determine the cause of the ankle pain so that it can be treated. If there is an underlying issue, such as arthritis, medication and rehab can be prescribed.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Matt
